Content providers generally can provide two ways of online access: public and restricted. For restricted access, users typically enter in user credentials, and after verification of the user credentials, users can gain access to the restricted information on a website. Because the user has to enter in his or her credentials, the content provider can identify the user and associate user activities on the website with the identified user. However, when users access a public website, they generally do so anonymously (i.e., without logging in with user credentials). As such, there is an internet-centric problem of associating user activities to a particular user when users are anonymously browsing a public website.
One conventional approach is to use persistence browser cookies for user tracking. This technique often requires saving identifier data on the client's machine, which may still be considered invasive by some users. Further, a browser cookie is not a true representation of the machine's identity. If the cookie is removed or copied to another machine, a tracking system will not be able to reconcile the disparate information.
Another conventional approach is to use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. However, in the world of mobile computing, IP addresses are not reliable to track users since IP addresses change with location.
Accordingly, the inventors recognized a need in the art for a technical solution directed to de-anonymization of online users to track user activity and to create customized user interfaces based on the use activity to provide a better, more personalized online experience to the user.